Rwandan Genocide Accussed seeks trial in UK

A man accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide has said he wanted to face trial in the UK and clear his name. Dr Vincent Brown – formerly Bajinya Brown – is one of four men set free on Wednesday after winning a legal battle against extradition.Two High Court judges ruled there was “a real risk they would suffer a flagrant denial of justice” if returned to Rwanda to face trial.

On Thursday Mr Brown told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “I want to clear my name. If it was possible I would like to face trial in this country.” He said the charges against him are, “pure fabrication” and while they hang over him he cannot get on with his life. “The judgment in this country from the High Court is very clear I cannot get a fair trial in Rwanda,” he said.

However, legislation governing the prosecution of such crimes in this country cannot be applied retrospectively and Mr Brown cannot be tried under current laws. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Parliament did not consider it right to make the International Criminal Court Act 2001 retrospective. The International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction is itself not retrospective.